Taste of Adversity
by Guardian of Hope
Summary: Lucy stepped into a wardrobe and discovered a country, while at her side trotted a young husky. Together with their siblings, girl and daemon must help Narnia embrace the coming spring, and do a little growing up of their own. Daemon fusion fic, gen.
1. Beyond the Lamp Post

Disclaimer: I own neither Chronicles of Narnia or His Dark Materials.

A/N: This is a Chronicles of Narnia fic crossed over with His Dark Materials in that there are daemons for the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve. It's in part a coming of age story for Lucy and her siblings.

It's assumed that you have knowledge of AT LEAST The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, if not the full Chronicles story.

If you don't know HDM, daemons are a representation of the human soul given physical form. They're a little bit like Jiminy Cricket, but people tend to listen to them because of the hurt one, hurt both bond they share. Children's daemons tend to take on a variety of forms at a whim or at need, while adults' daemons are settled into a single form. It is said that you can learn a lot about a man by his daemon.

The title is from a quote:

_ If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet_

* * *

It takes her a moment to get beyond his goat-like legs, but when Lan tugs her hair with his beak, she tilted her head to listen. "He has no daemon."

"What?" Lucy yelped, forgetting she did not need to be so loud.

"What, what?" The strange creature asked, "I wanted to know if you were a beardless dwarf."

"I'm not a dwarf," Lucy replied, "I'm a girl." She tried to ignore the twisting in her gut in favor of a joke, "Actually, I'm tallest in my class."

The stranger mutters to himself for a moment before staring at her intently, "But are you, or are you not, a human?"

"What else would I be?" Lucy asked. "My name is Lucy Pevensie, and this is Parthalán."

"I am Tumnus the Fawn," the stranger said carefully. He bent to pick up a package, eyes still mostly on Lucy.

"Pleased to meet you, Mister Tumnus," Lucy said as Lan jumped from her shoulder. By the time he landed in the snow, his robin form was gone and he began to push packages towards Tumnus with all the glee of a husky puppy.

"What kind of magic is that?" Tumnus asked, drawing back in shock.

Lan sat down and stared at Tumnus in surprise. "I'm a daemon," he said and jumped up to dance and wag his tail.

"A demon," Tumnus said, with an expression of fear.

"No, a daemon," Lucy said corrected him, "Everyone has one back home. He won't hurt you Mister Tumnus, he's not like that."

Tumnus stuttered for a moment, "But why does he change shape?"

"Because I'm a child," Lucy said. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and shivered. Lan turned into a ferret and Lucy picked him up. He wrapped himself around Lucy's neck like a scarf, which did help a little.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tumnus asked hesitantly, and then looked around, "You're cold. My place is not too far from here; would you care to come to tea, Lucy Pevensie? We can then discuss this in comfort."

Lucy hesitated, and Lan wiggled until his mouth was against her ear, "I don't know," he whispered, "he's very nervous."

"He's never met a human before, he doesn't know what a daemon is," Lucy replied as her stomach gurgled. "I'm sure it will be ok."

Lan hesitated, "Ok, but be careful, Lu."

"I will," Lucy said. She smiled at Tumnus, "I would love to join you for tea." She picked up his last package.

"Then let me offer you my arm," Tumnus said, "and we can share my umbrella."

Lucy smiled at him, "I'd like that, Mister Tumnus." She slipped her arm through Tumnus and allowed him to lead her away while Lan flittered around them as a bird.

Tumnus lived in a cave, which Lucy thought was appropriate, given how warm and dry the room was. There was a fireplace with a delightfully warm fire, and Tumnus was quick to light candles. "You have a lovely home," Lucy said as she looked around. Her mother had brought ladies from the VAD home on several occasions and Lucy had heard all of them say that.

"Thank you," Tumnus replied.

Lan perched on Lucy's shoulder for a moment before darting over to one of the bookcases, "'Is Man A Myth?'" He said.

"What?" Lucy asked as she walked over.

"This book," Lan said, changing into a ferret, "it's called 'Is Man A Myth', how odd."

"It's not very good," Tumnus said as he came up behind Lucy. "But there aren't many good books anymore."

"Why not?" Lucy asked, looking up at Tumnus.

"They've been banned," Tumnus replied, "only books approved by the White Witch may be owned." He stared at the bookshelf for a moment before reaching for the book.

Lan squeaked and scrambled out of the way, leaping for Lucy to avoid Tumnus's touch.

"What's wrong?" Tumnus asked.

"You almost touched him," Lucy said, unsteadily. "You're not supposed to touch someone's daemon." She shuddered, because she could remember the one time Edmund had tripped and his hand had brushed Lan as he had tried to catch himself.

"I don't understand," Tumnus said, watching as Lan became a puppy and watched him from Lucy's arms. "What is a daemon?"

Lucy moved to sit down in one of Tumnus's chairs, "My daemon is my soul," she said, remembering the book her mother had given her. "He is me."

"I'm sorry, but isn't the soul inside a person?" Tumnus asked.

"No," Lucy said, her eyes wide, "not for humans. We have daemons, and they are our souls."

"Then why does he change?" Tumnus asked.

Lucy shrugged, "Daemons change forms when we're children, but as we get older, they settle into the form that best defines us. But nobody can say when a daemon will settle, or what form. Sometimes they run in families, like my friend Melinda, her family's run to cats for ages."

"And you do not touch them," Tumnus said.

"Oh no," Lucy shook her head, "no one would dare. It is awful, Edmund did it once; he was falling and touched Lan on accident. It was horrible, I threw up for ages afterwards, and that was an accident." She shuddered, holding Lan closer to her, and the anxious daemon licked her cheek reassuringly.

Then the kettle whistled and Tumnus leapt to make tea, and as he did so, he began to tell her of Narnia. There were cakes and scones, and little sandwiches with the tea, and Tumnus knew many fun stories to pass the time. After their meal, Tumnus rose to fetch a beautifully carved wooden box, "Of course, we fauns were the key musicians in the great dances," he told Lucy as he sat back down. "There isn't another in Narnia who could play the songs we did." He smiled at her and began to play a beautiful, haunting melody unlike anything Lucy had heard in England.

She tried to keep her eyes open, but it wasn't long before her eyes grew heavy, and she slept.


	2. The Witch Queen

Disclaimer: I own neither Chronicles of Narnia or His Dark Materials.

A/N: The further adventures of the Pevensies, in the form of Edmund's first trip to Narnia.

_ If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet_

* * *

Edmund sighed as he stepped out of the bathroom, wiping his mouth with one hand. Izzy, Iseult, slipped around his neck like a vibrant, green necklace, "You know, if you had listened," the emerald tree boa started to say.

"Come on Lan."

Edmund stepped back into the bathroom, and peered out carefully. Lucy, holding a pair of boots, was watching as Lan trotted out of the room.

"I want to see Mister Tumnus again," Lan announced as they headed down the hallway.

Edmund looked at Izzy, "Should we follow?" He whispered.

"Yes," Izzy said.

They hurried quietly after Lucy, who was almost running in her hurry to get to the room with the wardrobe. When Edmund and Izzy caught up, it was to find the door partly open, it was just enough for them to see inside. Lan had become the half-grown lion he favored sometimes and was gamboling about Lucy as she pulled open the door.

"Let's go!" Lan said, leaping inside.

"Hold on," Lucy said as she scrambled up, "This isn't easy in boots, you know." She pulled the door behind her and the room fell silent.

"What was that all about?" Izzy said as she eased from Edmund's neck, leaping down to become a sleek little grey cat. "There can't be that much room in there."

"Let's see," Edmund said as he opened the door. "They're probably waiting for us to open the door so they can jump out at us."

"Then we'll make sure not to be in their way," Izzy replied.

Edmund started forward and tripped over his slippers, "Argh."

Izzy stuck her head in his face, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Edmund said and started to get up. They went to the door and stood behind it. Edmund counted down from three and pulled the door open.

A pair of mothballs fell out of the wardrobe.

Edmund looked at Izzy, who surged forward and leapt into the wardrobe, "Maybe there's a secret passage," she said. "Old houses are supposed to have them."

Edmund followed hesitantly.

"Honestly Ed," Izzy said as she watched him, "if you'd listened to me in the first place."

"It was just a prank," Edmund replied, trying to pretend he was not scared of the idea of being in the wardrobe with the door closed. "Brandon's my friend; he didn't mean to leave me there."

Izzy sighed, "Some friend. Now close the door and see if that opens the passage."

Edmund gripped the door for a moment, and then pulled it closed. "Anything?" He asked.

"Maybe," Izzy said, "the floor feels strange, and it smells…"

"Izzy?" Edmund asked. He waited, trying to count to thirty in his head. "Izzy!" He said finally.

When silence met his second call, Edmund threw himself forward. Instead of hitting a wall, Edmund stumbled forward into an oddly lit room. As he wrapped his robe tighter about him, Edmund stared, because it was not a room.

It was a forest covered in snow.

"Edmund!" Izzy said, bounding from behind him in her puppy form. "Look."

"I see," Edmund said, kneeling carefully to hug his Daemon. "You didn't answer."

"When?" Izzy asked as she leaned into him, her body like a warm brand.

"Just now," Edmund said.

Izzy shuddered, "I didn't hear you." She leaned into him even more, "Maybe, because this is somewhere else, maybe the portal…"

Edmund buried his face in her shoulder for a moment, and then pulled back. "I just had a thought," he said.

Izzy licked his cheek, "We have to apologize to Lucy."

"Let's go find her," Edmund said, standing up. "Lucy!" He called.

"Parthalán!" Izzy shouted.

They started forward, "Lucy!"

"Parthalán!"

Edmund stopped for a moment, listening and looking around them. "There's light over there," he said, pointing.

"Let's go," Izzy said, half-leaping, half running through the snow, breaking trail for Edmund to follow.

The light came from a clear lane between the trees, almost like a road. "Where do you think it goes?" Edmund asked, peering down the lane.

"I don't…" Izzy began, turning around. "Edmund, look out!"

Edmund turned, caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a sleigh before something collided into his chest. Izzy, in the odd form of a goat, knocked him into a snowdrift that collapsed on him, almost burying him. Edmund fought to free himself instantly and just as he pulled himself out, the sled glided past, piling yet more snow on him. "Hey!" Edmund yelled.

The sled came to a stop and Edmund stared at the silver and white back. "Uh oh," Izzy whispered as she took on her pigeon form and landed on a branch over Edmund's head.

Edmund edged out of the snowdrift as a woman descended from the sled and approached him. Edmund shivered, because as cold as the forest was, the woman's chilling glare was colder. She reached him and gripped his collar, "How dare you speak so to the Queen of Narnia?" She said.

"For-forgive m-me," Edmund said, "I d-didn't know!"

The Queen stared at him, then looked up at Izzy and then back to him and a cruel little smile drifted over her features. "You," she all but purred, "will make it up to me then."


	3. Lost Illusions and Games Gone Wrong

Disclaimer: I own neither Chronicles of Narnia or His Dark Materials.

A/N: Susan and Gahariet. (Gahariet prefers a hummingbird form, although he also has a cat, a lynx and a rabbit in his favorite forms) I've borrowed from the movie albeit in a twisted sort of fashion. (I like their version of going through the wardrobe, it inspired this.)

_ If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet_

* * *

Susan could not believe Edmund. He had hurt Lucy badly with his callous rejection of their game, and he showed no remorse for sending her to tears. Peter seemed frustrated, but he would not tell her what was going on and Gary, Gahariet, said that Bonny would not talk to him either. While Susan had not really expected Peter to confide in her, Bonny's rebuff of Gary surprised her. It sometimes felt like Peter's Boudicca and Garry were always talking about something.

"I'm sure Peter has a reason," Gary said as he toyed with the fringe on her bed curtains.

"He probably thinks he has to take care of all of us," Susan replied, "because he's the oldest. I still can't believe Edmund won't apologize to Lucy either."

"Izzy hasn't been talking either," Gary said, "I think she's worried about him." He smoothed down his calico coat.

Susan threw herself on her bed, making sure to keep her feet hanging over the edge. "It feels like everything is changing, Gary. Nothing's the same since we got here."

Gary crept over to curl under her chin. "I'm still here, Sue. You and me, we haven't changed." He began to purr.

Susan rested her face against Gary's side, pretending she was not crying. Her mother had told her that change was hard, and she had not realized how true that was until now. Maybe it had started the day Dad had come home with a military uniform, but Susan had been able to pretend that nothing was changing, that everything was fine. Like Lucy, she had created a fantasy that she now must see was a fantasy.

Susan had finally run out of tears and was splashing water on her face when Lucy came running in, Lan at her heels.

"Susan, oh Susan, Mrs. Macready says we may have a picnic outside for lunch and Peter found a cricket set we could play with." Lucy gripped the bedpost, face lit up with excitement while Lan chased his tail. Suddenly, Lucy frowned, "Are you all right, Susan?"

Susan smiled, "I'm fine, Lucy. I was just feeling homesick. Do you think Mrs. Macready will make cucumber sandwiches?"

"Oh I hope so," Lucy said, smiling again. "Peter even said he's going to make Edmund join us."

"Well, let's go get lunch then," Susan said.

Lucy and Lan ran out of the room at full speed.

As Susan followed, Peter came out of his room, "Was this your idea?" Susan asked.

"No, it was Lucy," Peter replied as he watched Bonny clear the doorway, "Lan told Bonny that she finds the idea of us chasing the ball hilarious. Besides, the Macready likes Lucy as much as she likes any child."

"Everyone likes Lucy," Susan replied.

Edmund was standing at the head of the stairs, pouting. "I don't want to go outside," he said.

"You're going," Peter replied.

"Why?" Edmund asked.

"Because you are acting like a spoiled little brat and you still haven't admitted you were wrong to make fun of Lucy the way you did." Bonny said.

"I said I was sorry," Edmund muttered.

"Did you actually tell Lucy that?" Peter asked in a quiet voice.

"Let's go," Susan said, tugging on Peter's arm, "I'm hungry."

Reluctantly, Peter let Susan pull him down the stairs and away from Edmund as Garry flittered around him, the jewel bright feathers of his humming bird form flashing in the light from the windows. "Don't worry," he said as he hovered close to Bonny's ear. "He'll be hungry soon and the Macready won't fix him a special meal."

"Good point," Bonny replied as she shied away from Garry, "That tickles."

Susan smiled, "Don't worry; we'll get through to Ed. We have plenty of time."

"Where's Edmund?" Lucy asked from the foot of the stairs as she danced around a picnic basket.

"He's coming," Susan said.

"Yes, you know Edmund," Gary said as he hovered over Lan, "he doesn't want to do any work so he's dragging his feet."

"Ok," Lucy said with a laugh.

They were setting out the food on the old blanket Macready had given them when Edmund showed up. Izzy was bounding around him as a golden retriever, and they both looked less petulant than they had inside. "Hi Izzy!" Lan said as they got close, he leapt forward and knocked into Izzy's side.

"Just in time to eat," Susan said while Lucy giggled.

Peter passed Edmund a plate, "Sit down," he said with a smile. "Enjoy yourself."

"Thank you," Edmund said hesitantly as he sat down.

"After lunch, we're going to play cricket," Lucy said as she arranged a cucumber sandwich on her plate.

"Do you know how to play?" Edmund said.

"Not really," Lucy said, her enthusiasm undaunted, "but I can hit the ball!"

Cricket was fun, with Lucy and Lan trying so hard to do it right, while Edmund was a reluctant player, although naturally talented, and Peter and Susan just enjoying the fact that there was not any tears at the moment.

Then Edmund hit the ball through a window.

"Oh well done, Ed," Peter said.

"You bowled it," Edmund retorted.

"Like that means something," Bonny said, "let's go find the ball."

Finding the ball lead to running from Macready to hiding in the contentious wardrobe.

At least, Susan thought they were hiding until someone's small hands, Lucy's, shoved her into Peter, and Peter tripped. Susan braced herself for the impact against the back wall.

Only the fall was a lot longer than it was supposed to be, and the impact on the ground was cushioned by something cold, soft, and wet.

Susan opened eyes she hadn't meant to close and stared at the white covered ground.

Garry, his calico face puzzled, edged forward and batted at the ground.

"It's snow."


End file.
